Pulling head for installing fasteners with stems and locking the stem therein



June 8, 1965 w. R. SIMMONS 3,187,546

PULLING HEAD FOR INSTALLING FASTENERS WITH STEMS AND LOCKING THE STEMTHERE-IN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 18, 1965 1955 w. R. SIMMONS3,187,546

PULLING HEAD FOR INSTALLING FASTENERS WITH STEMS June 8,

AND LOCKING THE STEM THEREIN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 18, 1963Ar'romvsr United States Patent PULLING HEAD FOR INSTALLTNG FASTENERSWETH STEMS AND LOCKING THE STEM THEREIN Walter Russell Simmons, BuenaPark, Calif., assignor to Textron Industries, Inc., a corporation ofDelaware Filed Oct. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 317,280 8 Claims. (Cl. 72--391)This invention relates to a pulling head for installing fasteners withstems and locking the stem therein.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a pulling head forthe installation of fasteners which have a spindle or stem which ispulled for setting the fasteners, and which tool is capable to exert apulling reaction for drawing sheets of material together and which iscapable of transferring the pulling reaction load to a fastener head soas to swage and lock the stem in place, the pulling head is particularlyadapted to form a notch or recess in the top of the head part of thefastener, while it restrains outward expansion of the head so that thematerial displaced by the notch near the stem is forced to flow inwardlyinto locking grooves on the stem.

Another object of the invention is to provide an installing and lockingtool for fasteners, such as blind rivets, wherein a stern projectsthrough the head of the fasteners to be engaged by the pulling headwhile the pulling head exerts reaction pressure on the head, so as toclinch the work and set the fastener, restraining the expansion of thehead outwardly, and then shifting pressure to a swaging anvil ornotching tool so as to drive the latter into the top of the head aroundthe stern thereby to force material from the head to flow into lockinggrooves on the stern for locking the latter.

Another object of the invention is to provide an installing and lockingtool or pulling head which may be attached to a power tool directly orwhich may be attached through an adapter or converter device to a drillmotor for installing and locking rivets or other fasteners having a stemto be pulled for setting the fastener.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements andcombinations of the several devices and parts, as well as in the detailsof the construction thereof without departing from the scope of thepresent invention as set forth in the following specification, and asdefined in the following claims; hence I do not limit my invention tothe exact arrangements and combinations of the said device and parts asdescribed in the said specification, nor do I confine myself to theexact details of the construction of the said parts as illustrated inthe accompanying drawings.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be mademanifest in the following detailed description, reference is had to theaccompanying drawings for the illustrative embodiment of the invention,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the pulling head in the initial positionof the blind rivet.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the pulling head in position of settingthe rivet.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the pulling head in position where therivet is set and the anvil is applied.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the pulling head in position where thestem is broken.

The primary pressure applying and head restraining part of this deviceis an outer sleeve 1, with a nose 2, which has a recess 3 thereinfitting around and over the outer periphery of a fastener head 4. Inthis illustration the head 4 is on a tubular blind rivet 6. A stem 7extends through the tubular blind rivet 6 and through the head 4. A tailformer 8 is on the tail end of the stem 7 to form a blind head on theblind rivet and clinch the work, such 3,187,546 Fatented June 8, 1965ice as plates or sheets together, when the stem 7 is pulled through thehead 4.

The pulling device in this tool is a drawbolt 11 to which is threadedlysecured a jawholder 12. The nose 13 of the jawholder 12 has a hole 14therethrough to admit the stem 7 and has inclined sides 16 on its innerperiphery frusto-conically tapering toward said hole 14. In thejawholder are held a plurality of suitable complemental jaw sections 17separable at their forward ends 18 but held together by an O ring 19 attheir base so as to pivot about said O ring. The separable jaw ends 18are inclined to converge at an angle generally corresponding to thefrusto-conical side 16 of the jawholder nose 13 and to be pressedtogether by the latter as shown in FIG. 1, to grip the stem 7. The jawsections 17 are urged into the jawholder nose 13 by a coil spring 21which latter is nested at its forward end in a follower cup 22 bearingagainst the base of said jaw sections 17 and at its other end in arecess 23 in the drawbolt 11. Thus when the stem 7 presses against thejaw ends 18 the jaw sections 17 are pushed away from the jawholder nose13 and the jaw ends 18 are pried open and admit the stem 7. As thedrawbolt 11 and the jawholder 12 are pulled away from the pressure nose2 the gripped stem 7 pulls the closed jaw ends 18 into thefrusto-conical side 16 of the jawholder nose 13 and the pulling grip onthe stem 7 is thereby tightened.

The device for depressing the top of the rivet head 4 around the stem 7for locking the stem in place includes a tubularanvil 24 slidablethrough a hole 26 in the nose 2 of the sleeve 1. The forward notchingend of the anvil 24 has a tapered inner periphery tapering to a sharpcutting edge 27. An anvil head 28 onthe anvil 24 is normally spaced fromthe nose 2 and is slidable in the sleeve 1. An anvil sleeve 29 extendsfrom the anvil head 28 slidably between the drawbolt 11 and the outersleeve 1.

The device for shifting the pressure to the anvil 24 includes a housing31 threadedly secured to the outer periphery of a housing or pressureboss 32 of a power applying tool. The forward end of the housing 31 hasan inwardly projecting annular flange 33. An integral head 34 on theouter sleeve 1 is slidable in the housing 31 and abuts against saidflange 33 in the initial position of the outer or pressure sleeve 1. Abackup tube 36 is threadedly secured in said pressure boss 32 of thepower tool and is thus held in fixed position relatively to the housing31. The forward end 35 of the backup tube 36 is tapered inwardly andtoward sleeve head 34 and is initially spaced from the sleeve head 34 toaccommodate a series of backup balls 37 bearing against the sleeve head34. A locking tube 38 is slidable in the housing 31 and has a ringflange 39 with a convex curved ball engaging face 41 hearing against thebackup balls so as to prevent the balls 37 from moving radiallyoutwardly and into the space between the backup tube 36 and the housing31. A coil spring 42 around the backup tube 36 between the pressure boss32 and the ring flange 39 normally holds the locking tube 38 and itsring flange 39 in ball locking position.

The rear end of the anvil sleeve 29 extends into an enlarged bore 43 inthe backup tube 36 and bears against the bottom 44 of the bore 43 so asto be held fixed relatively to the outer sleeve 1.

The drawbolt 11 is threadedly connected to a reciprocable shaft or rod46 of a power tool.

This pulling head may be utilized on a power tool of the type shown inUS. Patent No. 2,526,956, granted to H. W. Kugler, on October 24, 1950.The pulling head may be used also in connection with a converter of thetype shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,941,687, granted to W. R. Simmons, onJune 21, 1960, in which case the pressure boss 32 would correspond topart 32 of said patent, and the shaft 46 would correspond to part 66 ofsaid patent.

In operation the recess 3 of the sleeve nose 2 is pressed on the rivethead 4 so as to hold it against the plates 9 and restrain outwardexpansion of the rivet head 4. The sleeve 1 is held in such pressureposition by the pressure exerted by the power tool through the pressureboss 32 and backup tube 36 and the backup balls 37. The stem 2 isgripped in jaw sections 18 and the anvil 24 is in its initial withdrawnposition, while the drawbolt 11 is pulled by the power tool through theshaft or rod 4-6 for setting the rivet. After the Work is clinched andthe rivet is set, further pulling, of the stem 2 sets up forces beyondthose needed for setting the rivet. The taper of the tapered end 35, thetension of the coil spring 42, and the curvature of the convex lockingface 41-predetermine the reaction force of the pressure at which thetension of the coil spring 42 is overcome and it yields so that thebackup balls 39 push the locking tube 38 toward the pressure boss 32 androll outwardly into and along the space between the backup tube 36 andthe housing 31 thus the outer pressure sleeve 1 shifts relatively totthebackup tube 36 and the anvil 24 and the pressure of the power tool isfully exerted to press the edge'27 of the anvil 24 into the top of therivet to form a comparatively deep notch or groove in the top of therivet head. Outward expansion of the rivet head 4 being restrained thedisplaced material swages inwardly into breakneck grooves 4-7 in thestem 2 and locks the stem 2 into said rivet head 4'. Further pulling ofthe stem 2 breaks the stem at the outermost breakneck groove in therivet head 4.

I claim:

1. In a pulling head for setting fasteners of the type wherein a stem ispulled through a fastener head for securing the fastener and whereinsaid stem has grooves in its periphery to receive locking materialswaged from said head inwardly (a) an outer sleeve (b) a pressure noseon said outer sleeve engageable with said fastener head so as torestrain radial outward expansion of said head-and having an axial holetherethrough (c) a tubular anvil in said axial hole to receive said stemtherethrough (d) a cutting edge on said tubular anvil for pressing agroove into the top of said fastener head, said cutting edge beingshaped to force material displaced thereby radially inwardly (e)pressure means to transmit pressure to said outer sleeve and to saidanvil, said anvil edge in its initial position being spaced inwardly ofsaid axial hole in said pressure nose (f) a drawbolt slidable relativelyto said sleeve (g) means in said drawbolt for gripping said stern andpulling it when said drawbolt is pulled (h) means to connect saiddrawbolt to a reciprocating element of a power tool to be pulled forsetting said fastener (i) yieldable means interposed between said outersleeve and said pressure means, the tension of said yieldable meansbeing predetermined to yield only after the fastener is set thereby totransmit direct pressure to said anvil for pressing a groove radiallyinwardly into the top of said head thereby forcing head material intosaid grooves of said stem in said head.

2. The pulling head defined in claim 1, said yieldable means including(i) a backup member in said pressure means (k) a plurality of backupballs between said backup member and said pressure sleeve being movablealong said backup member (1) spring pressed locking means engaging andholding said balls in fixed pressure position (In) the angle ofengagement of said balls by said backup member and by said locking meanspredetermining the pressure at which said locking means is pushed out ofthe way by said balls.

3. The pulling head defined in claim 1, said yieldable means including(j) a tubular backup member around said drawbolt,

said backup member being stationary relatively to said drawbolt (k) aplurality of backup balls between said backup member and said pressuresleeve being movable along the outer periphery of said backup member (1)a tubular locking element movable along the outer periphery of saidbackup member (In) a coil spring around said backup member pressing saidlocking element against said balls so as to hold said balls in pressuretransmitting position between said pressure sleeve and said backupmember.

4. The pulling head defined in claim 3, and

(n) a pressure flange on the end of said tubular locking elementadjacent said balls (0) a convex pressure face on the said pressureflange inclined inwardly of the locking element for exerting radialpressure on said locking balls generally toward the axis of the backupmember.

5. The pulling head defined in claim 3, and

(n) a pressure flange on the end of said tubular locking elementadjacent said balls (0) a convex pressure face on the said pressureflange inclined inwardly of the locking element for exerting radialpressure on said locking balls generally toward the axis of the backupmember (p) a tapered end of said backup member adjacent said balls beinginclined from the outer periphery of the backup member toward said ballsso as to bear against the balls generally radially and partiallyoutwardly with respect to the axis of said backup memher.

6. The pulling head defined in claim 2, and

(n) a tubular anvil sleeve extended from said anvil and directlyconnected to said pressure means so as to transmit pressure to the anvilwhen said yieldable means yield.

7. The pulling head defined in claim 2, and

(n) a tubular anvil sleeve extended from said anvil to said backupmember and unyieldably connected to said backup member whereby pressureis directly transmitted to said anvil when said locking means is pushedout of the way by said balls and by said pressure sleeve.

8. In a pulling device for setting fasteners having a stem extendingthrough a fastener head and breakneck grooves on said stem forinterlocking said stem and head (a) an outer sleeve (b) a nose on theouter sleeve fitting over the fastener head for holding the head and torestrain outward expansion of the head (0) said sleeve nose having anaxial hole therethrough (d) a tubular anvil slidable in said hole (e)the end of said tubular anvil having a tapered inner periphery to forman annular cutting edge forcing displaced material radially inwardly (f)an anvil head on said anvil normally spaced from said sleeve nose havinga hole therethrough for the insertion of said fastener stem therethrough(g) an anvil sleeve extended from said anvil head slid ably in saidouter sleeve (h) a drawbolt slidable in said anvil sleeve (i) a drawboltnose normally abutted by said anvil head (j) said drawbolt nose having ahole therethrough and having a frusto-conical inner periphery taperingtoward said hole in said drawbolt nose (k) a jaw device in said drawboltcoacting with said frusto-conical inner periphery to grip said sterninserted through said holes for pulling the stem for setting thefastener (1) means to connect said drawbolt to a reciprocating elementof a power tool for pulling said stem (m) means to connect said outersleeve to a pressure element of a power tool including (11) a housingsecured to said pressure element (0) a tubular backup around saiddrawbolt secured to said pressure element concentric with and spacedfrom said housing (p) said anvil sleeve engaging said backup (q) asleeve head on said outer sleeve slidably held in said housing (r) aplurality of backup balls between said sleeve head and said backup (s) atapered end of said backup engaging said balls (t) a locking memberslidable in said housing (u) a curved face of said locking memberengaging said balls radially outside of said tapered end (v) a lockingspring around said backup urging said locking member against said ballsat a predetermined pressure thereby to yield after said fastener is setand release said balls to the outside of said backup and release thedirect pressure on said outer sleeve so that said outer sleeve is pushedback relative to said anvil for applying direct pressure to said anvilfor cutting a groove in saidfastener head and swaging displaced materialradially inwardly into said breakneck grooves for locking said stem.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,390,537 12/45Huck 218-42 X 15 2,941,687 6/60 Simmons 218-42 3,038,626 6/62 Simmons218-42 GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, 111., Primary Examiner.

1. IN A PULLING HEAD FOR SETTING FASTENERS OF THE TYPE WHEREIN A STEM ISPULLED THROUGH A FASTENER HEAD FOR SECURING THE FASTENER AND WHEREINSAID STEM HAS GROOVES IN ITS PERIPHERY TO RECEIVE LOCKING MATERIALSWAGED FROM SAID HEAD INWARDLY (A) AN OUTER SLEEVE (B) A PRESSURE NOSEON SAID OUTER SLEEVE ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID FASTENER HEAD SO AS TORESTRAIN RADIAL OUTWARD EXPANSION OF SAID HEAD AND HAVING AN AXIAL HOLETHERETHROUGH (C) A TUBULAR ANVIL IN SAID AXIAL HOLE TO RECEIVE SAID STEMTHERETHROUGH (D) A CUTTING EDGE ON SAID TUBULAR ANVIL FOR PRESSING AGROOVE INTO THE TOP OF SAID FASTENER HEAD, SAID CUTTING EDGE BEINGSHAPED TO FORCE MATERIAL DISPLACED THEREBY RADIALLY INWARDLY (E)PRESSURE MEANS TO TRANSMIT PRESSURE TO SAID OUTER SLEEVE AND TO SAIDANVIL, SAID ANVIL EDGE IN ITS INITIAL POSITION BEING SPACED INWARDLY OFSAID AXIAL HOLE IN SAID PRESSURE NOSE (F) A DRAWBOLT SLIDABLE RELATIVELYTO SAID SLEEVE (G) MEANS IN SAID DRAWBOLT FOR GRIPPING SAID STEM ANDPULLING IT WHEN SAID DRAWBOLT IS PULLED (H) MEANS TO CONNECT SAIDDRAWBOLT TO A RECIPROCATING ELEMENT OF A POWER TOOL TO BE PULLED FORSETTING SAID FASTENER (I) YIELDABLE MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID OUTERSLEEVE AND SAID PRESSURE MEANS, THE TENSION OF SAID YIELDABLE MEANSBEING PREDETERMINED TO YIELD ONLY AFTER THE FASTENER IS SET THEREBY TOTRANSMIT DIRECT PRESSURE TO SAID ANVIL FOR PRESSING A GROOVE RADIALLYINWARDLY INTO THE TOP OF SAID HEAD THEREBY FORCING HEAD MATERIAL INTOSAID GROOVES OF SAID STEM IN SAID HEAD.